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Shrine



 
 
A shrine, from the Latin scrinium (‘box’; also used as a desk, like the French bureau) is a holy or sacred place which is dedicated to a specific deity
Deity

A deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divinity, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by human beings....
, ancestor, hero
Hero

A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, the offspring of a mortal and a deity,their Greek hero cult being one of the most distinctive features of Religion in ancient Greece....
, martyr
Martyr

The term martyr is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices his or her life in order to further a cause or belief for many....
, saint
Saint

A saint in Christianity is a human being who has been called to holiness. The term is used differently by various denominations, with some, such as the Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans distinguishing between Saints and saints....
 or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated
Veneration

In Christianity, veneration , or veneration of saints, is a special act of honoring a saint: a dead person who has been identified as singular in the traditions of the religion....
 or worship
Worship

Worship usually refers to acts of religion devotion typically directed to one or more deity. It is the informal term in English for what sociology of religion call cult —traditional beliefs and practices, the individual study of which is one of the chief concerns of theology....
ped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated. A shrine at which offerings
Votive offering

A votive deposit or votive offering is an object left in a sacred place for ritual purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally made in order to gain favor with supernatural forces....
 are made is called an altar
Altar

An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religion, or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place....
.






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A shrine, from the Latin scrinium (‘box’; also used as a desk, like the French bureau) is a holy or sacred place which is dedicated to a specific deity
Deity

A deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divinity, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by human beings....
, ancestor, hero
Hero

A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, the offspring of a mortal and a deity,their Greek hero cult being one of the most distinctive features of Religion in ancient Greece....
, martyr
Martyr

The term martyr is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices his or her life in order to further a cause or belief for many....
, saint
Saint

A saint in Christianity is a human being who has been called to holiness. The term is used differently by various denominations, with some, such as the Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans distinguishing between Saints and saints....
 or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated
Veneration

In Christianity, veneration , or veneration of saints, is a special act of honoring a saint: a dead person who has been identified as singular in the traditions of the religion....
 or worship
Worship

Worship usually refers to acts of religion devotion typically directed to one or more deity. It is the informal term in English for what sociology of religion call cult —traditional beliefs and practices, the individual study of which is one of the chief concerns of theology....
ped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated. A shrine at which offerings
Votive offering

A votive deposit or votive offering is an object left in a sacred place for ritual purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally made in order to gain favor with supernatural forces....
 are made is called an altar
Altar

An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religion, or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place....
. Shrines are found in many of the world's religions, including Catholic Christianity
Catholicism

Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its Theology and doctrines, its Catholic liturgy, Ethics, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, Shia Islam, Hinduism
Hinduism

'Hinduism' is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as , a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal dharma", by its practitioners....
, Buddhism
Buddhism

Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religionand is based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as "The Buddha" , who was born in what is today Nepal....
, Wicca
Wicca

Wicca is a neopaganism, nature-based religion. It was re-popularised in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired United Kingdom civil servant, who at the time called it Witchcraft and its adherents "the Wica"....
, LaVeyan Satanism
LaVeyan Satanism

LaVeyan Satanism is a religion founded in 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey. Its teachings are based on individualism, hedonism, and "eye for an eye" morality, borrowing philosophically from Friedrich Nietzsche and Ayn Rand, and drawing from the rituals and ceremonies of occultist Aleister Crowley....
, Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion

Chinese folk religion is a collective label given to various folklore beliefs that draws heavily from Chinese mythology. This labeling is similar to how non-monotheistic religions are collectively called paganism in the West....
 and Shinto
Shinto

is the former state religion of Japan and remains the most common name for the nation's non-Buddhist ethnic religion practices. It was formed from disparate local mythologies, beginning with the Kojiki of 712, into an imperial cult called State Shinto that solidified in the Meiji period....
, as well as in secular and non-religious settings. As such, shrines can be found in various settings, such as church
Church

File:Pisgah.jpgFile:Fordekyrkje.jpgFile:Almakerek2.jpgFile:ChurchB.JPGFile:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-S36049, Frankreich, Lens, Kirche.jpgA church building is a building or structure whose primary purpose is to facilitate the meeting of a Ecclesia ....
es, temple
Temple

A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A ??templum?? constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur....
s, cemeteries
Cemetery

A cemetery is a place in which death body and cremation are burial. The term cemetery implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground....
, or in the home, although portable shrines are also found in some cultures.

This modern definition of a shrine is an extension of the original definition that was used in late antiquity, that of being a container, usually made of precious materials, used especially for a relic
Relic

A relic is an object or a personal item of Religion significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, shamanism, and many other religions....
 and often a cult image
Cult image

In the practice of religion, a cult image is a man-made object that is venerated for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents....
.

Types of Shrine

There are different types of shrine.

Site-specific shrines

In Christianity
Christianity

Christianity is a Monotheistic religion #Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as New Testament view on Jesus' life....
 and Islam
Islam

Islam is a Monotheism, Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of the Prophets of Islam Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure....
, a shrine does not usually denote any place where a deity is worshipped but refers to a space set up dedicated to an important religious event that happened there. These such sites commonly become places of pilgrimage
Pilgrimage

File:Supplicating Pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram. Mecca, Saudi Arabia.jpgIn religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long quest or search of great moral significance....
. Examples include the Christian Lourdes
Lourdes

Lourdes is a town and communes of France situated in the southwest of the Hautes-Pyr?n?es Departments of France, lying in the first Pyrenean foothills, in southwestern France....
 and Walsingham
Walsingham

Walsingham is a village in the England county of Norfolk. The village is famed for its religious shrines in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is a major pilgrimage centre....
, and the Islamic ka'bah.

Temple shrines

Most shrines are located within buildings designed specifically for worship, such as a church
Church

File:Pisgah.jpgFile:Fordekyrkje.jpgFile:Almakerek2.jpgFile:ChurchB.JPGFile:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-S36049, Frankreich, Lens, Kirche.jpgA church building is a building or structure whose primary purpose is to facilitate the meeting of a Ecclesia ....
 in Christianity, or a mandir in Hinduism. A shrine here is usually the centre of attention in the building, and is given a place of prominence. In such cases, adherents of the faith assemble within the building in order to venerate the deity at the shrine.

Household shrines

In historical pagan faiths, as well as in modern faiths such as Hinduism
Hinduism

'Hinduism' is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as , a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal dharma", by its practitioners....
 and Neopaganism
Neopaganism

Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of new religious movement, particularly those influenced by pre-Christian "Paganism" beliefs of Europe....
, a shrine can commonly be found within the home, dedicated to a deity or to a localised household deity
Household deity

A household deity is a deity or spirit that protects the home, looking after the entire household or certain key members. It has been a common belief in pagan religions as well as in folklore across many parts of the world....
.

Yard shrines

Small outdoor yard shrines are found at the places of many peoples following various religions, especially historic Christianity
Christianity

Christianity is a Monotheistic religion #Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as New Testament view on Jesus' life....
. Many consist of a statue of Christ
Christ

Christ is the English language term for the Greek meaning "the anointing", which is a title given to the Reigning Messiah in the given age of the Zodiac....
 or a saint
Saint

A saint in Christianity is a human being who has been called to holiness. The term is used differently by various denominations, with some, such as the Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans distinguishing between Saints and saints....
 on a pedestal or in an alcove, while others may be elaborate groupings including paintings, statuary, and architectural elements such as walls, roofs, glass doors, ironwork fences, and so on.

In the United States, many Christians (especially Anglican and Roman Catholic) have small yard shrines; some of these greatly resemble side altars, since they are composed of a statue placed in a niche or grotto
Grotto

A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide....
; this type is colloquially referred to as a bathtub Madonna
Bathtub madonna

A bathtub madonna, bathtub Mary, or bathtub shrine is an artificial grotto containing a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, constructed by upending an old bathtub and burying one end....
. Nativity scene
Nativity scene

File:Presepe naples rome2.jpgA nativity scene is a depiction of the nativity of Jesus as described in the gospels of Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Luke....
s are also a form of yard shrine.

Religious shrines

Shrine
Shrines are most commonly found as a place of religious significance, and shrines are found in most, though not all, religions. As distinguished from a temple
Temple

A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A ??templum?? constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur....
, a shrine usually houses a particular relic
Relic

A relic is an object or a personal item of Religion significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, shamanism, and many other religions....
 or cult image
Cult image

In the practice of religion, a cult image is a man-made object that is venerated for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents....
, which is the object of worship
Worship

Worship usually refers to acts of religion devotion typically directed to one or more deity. It is the informal term in English for what sociology of religion call cult —traditional beliefs and practices, the individual study of which is one of the chief concerns of theology....
 or veneration
Veneration

In Christianity, veneration , or veneration of saints, is a special act of honoring a saint: a dead person who has been identified as singular in the traditions of the religion....
, or is constructed to set apart a site which is thought to be particularly holy, as opposed to being placed for the convenience of worshippers. Shrines therefore attract the practice of pilgrimage
Pilgrimage

File:Supplicating Pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram. Mecca, Saudi Arabia.jpgIn religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long quest or search of great moral significance....
.

Christianity

Shrines are found in many, though not all, forms of Christianity
Christianity

Christianity is a Monotheistic religion #Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as New Testament view on Jesus' life....
. Roman Catholicism, the largest denomination of Christianity, has many shrines, as does Orthodox Christianity
Orthodox Christianity

KAHThe term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christianity churches of Byzantine Rite tradition that adhere to the first seven Ecumenical Councils, and are in full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and with each other....
, however Protestantism
Protestantism

Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
, another type of Christianity, is typically opposed to them.

In the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
 Code of Canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)

Canon Law, the ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation....
, canons 1230 and 1231 read: "The term shrine means a church or other sacred place which, with the approval of the local Ordinary
Ordinary

In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to executive the church's laws....
, is by reason of special devotion
Devotion

Devotion, devotional, or devotee may refer to:Religion:* worship* prayer* devotional song* Bible study ? called "devotion" or "devotional" by some denominations....
 frequented by the faithful as pilgrim
Pilgrim

A pilgrim is one who undertakes a pilgrimage, literally 'far afield'. This is traditionally a visit to a place of some religious or historic significance; often a considerable distance is traveled....
s. For a shrine to be described as national, the approval of the Episcopal Conference
Episcopal Conference

In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the Bishop of a given territory....
 is necessary. For it to be described as international, the approval of the Holy See
Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church....
 is required." Catholic shrines are therefore normally churches which for historical or other reasons have become the destination of pilgrimages.

Another use of the term "shrine" in colloquial Catholic terminology is a niche or alcove in most - especially larger - churches used by parishioners when praying privately in the church. They were also called Devotional Altars, since they could look like small Side Altars. Shrines were always centered on some image of Christ or a saint - for instance, a statue, painting, mural or mosaic, and may have had a reredos
Reredos

There are two common meanings of the word reredos. In general architecture, the word can mean the back of an open hearth of a fireplace or a screen placed behind a table....
 behind them (without a Tabernacle
Church tabernacle

A Tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . It is to be distinguished from a less obvious container, set into the wall, called an aumbry....
 built in).

However, Mass
Mass (liturgy)

The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, and in some largely High Church Lutheranism Lutheranism regions, including the Scandinavian and Baltic states countries....
 would not be celebrated at them; they were simply used to aid or give a visual focus for prayers. Side altars where Mass could actually be celebrated were used in a similar way to shrines by parishioners. Side Altars were specifically dedicated to The Virgin Mary
Blessed Virgin Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to The Blessed Virgin or The Virgin Mary, is a traditional title used by most Christians and most specifically used by liturgical Christians such as Roman Catholics, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, and some others to describe Mary, mother of Jesus, the mother of...
, Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph

Joseph "of the House of David" is known from the New Testament as the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus and although according to Christian tradition he was not the biological father of Jesus, he acted as his foster-father and as head of the Holy Family....
 or other saints.

The long Roman Catholic tradition of veneration of saints has produced an impressive number of notable shrines, some of truly international renoun. There are separate articles on:
  • basilica
    Basilica

    The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a ancient Rome public building , usually located in the Forum of a Roman town. In Hellenistic cities, public basilicas appeared in the 2nd century BC....
  • Shrines to the Virgin Mary
    Shrines to the Virgin Mary

    In the culture and practice of some Christian Churches - mainly, but not solely, the Roman Catholic Church - a Shrine to the Virgin Mary is a shrine marking an Marian apparitions or other miracle ascribed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or a site on which is centered a historically strong Blessed Virgin Mary devotion....


Shrine may also designate a small altar
Altar

An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religion, or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place....
 in a home or place of business, or a room or item of furniture which is decorated with religious symbols and used for private worship, as was common in the polytheist periods of Classical Antiquity. Devotions are generally to ancestral
Ancestor worship

Ancestor worship or ancestor veneration is a practice based on the belief that deceased family members have a continued existence, take an interest in the affairs of the world, and/or possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living....
 or tutelary
Tutelary

A tutelary spiritual being or patron deity serves as the guardian of, or an entity to watch over and protect, a particular site, person, culture, or nation....
 spirits.

Islam


Muslims
Islam

Islam is a Monotheism, Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of the Prophets of Islam Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure....
 do not have shrines dedicated to Allah
Allah

Allah is the standard Arabic language word for God. While the term is best known in the Western world for its use by Muslims as a reference to God, it is used by Arabic-speakers of all Abrahamic faiths, including Christians and Jews, in reference to "God"....
, and consider such a thing to be idolatry. Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam

Sunni Islam is the Demographics of Islam Divisions of Islam of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa?l-Jama?ah or Ahl as-Sunnah for short....
, which is the largest form of Islam, does not have any shrines at all, except for the ka'ba, a central box in the city of Mecca
Mecca

Mecca , also spelled Makkah , Makka is a city in Saudi Arabia. Home to the Masjid al-Haram, it is the holy city in Islam and plays an important role in the faith....
, which is often referred to as a shrine even though it is not used for the worship of Allah.

On the other hand, Muslims have differing opinions on shrines and the intercession of saints
Intercession of saints

Intercession of the saints is a Christianity doctrine common to the vast majority of the world's Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and a number of Reformed Christian communities....
 (Tawassul
Tawassul

Tawassul is an Islamic religious practice in which a Muslim seeks nearness to Allah. A rough translation would be: "To draw near to what one seeks after and to approach that which one desires." The exact definition and method of tawassul is a matter of some dispute within the Muslim community....
). Shia Islam maintains a tradition of venerating late religious leaders
Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

Imamah is the Shia Islam doctrine of religious, spiritual and political Islamic leadership of the Ummah. The Shi?ah believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or Succession to Muhammad of Muhammad, and Twelver Shi`ism and Ismaili Shi?ah further that Imams are possessed of supernatural knowledge, authority, and Ismah as well as being par...
 (as there is no hierarchical church, the bond is personal; but often a 'successor', maintains a following) and/or martyrs (usually at their grave). Shrines are even made in honour of the descendants of Shi‘ah Imams
Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

Imamah is the Shia Islam doctrine of religious, spiritual and political Islamic leadership of the Ummah. The Shi?ah believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or Succession to Muhammad of Muhammad, and Twelver Shi`ism and Ismaili Shi?ah further that Imams are possessed of supernatural knowledge, authority, and Ismah as well as being par...
, thus the Persian
Persian language

name=Persian|nativename=|pronunciation=[f??r'si]|image=|caption=Farsi in Perso-Arabic script |states= Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain....
 word imamzadeh
Imamzadeh

An Imamzadeh is a word found in both the Persian language and Urdu languages, that refers to an immediate descendant of a Shi'a Imam.The word is also used to refer to a shrine that is specific to Shi'a Islam and in which the Imamzadeh is buried....
. There are also sunnite equivalents, as among the ascetic marabouts of West Africa
West Africa

West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries distributed over an area of approximately 5 million square km:...
 and the Maghreb
Maghreb

The Maghreb , also rendered Maghrib , meaning "place of sunset" or "western" in Arabic, is a region in North Africa. The term is generally applied to all of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, but in older Arabic usage pertained only to the area of the three countries between the high ranges of the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea....
.

Hinduism

.]] In Hinduism
Hinduism

'Hinduism' is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as , a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal dharma", by its practitioners....
, a shrine is a place where a god or goddess is worshipped. Shrines are typically located inside a temple known as a mandir, though many Hindus also have a household shrine as well. Sometimes a human is venerated at a Hindu shrine along with a deity, for instance the 19th century religious teacher Sri Ramakrishna is venerated at the Ramakrishna Temple
Ramakrishna Temple

Sri Ramakrishna Temple was consecrated in the Headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math on Friday, the 14th January, the Makar Sankranti Day in 1938....
 in Kolkata
Kolkata

, Indian renaming controversy , is the Capital of the Indian States and territories of India of West Bengal. It is located in East India on the east bank of the River Hooghly....
, India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
.

Central to a Hindu shrine is a statue of a deity, which is known as a murti
Murti

In Hinduism, a murti typically refers to an image, a deity, in which a Divine Spirit is expressed . Hindus consider a murti worthy of worship after the divine is invoked in it for the purpose of offering worship....
. Hindus believe that the deity that they are worshiping actually enters and inhabits the murti. This is given offerings like candles, food, flowers, and incense. In some cases, particularly among devotees of the goddess Kali
KALI

KALI may refer to:* KALI , a radio station licensed to West Covina, California, United States* KALI-FM, a radio station licensed to Santa Ana, California, United States...
 in northern India, animals are sacrificed
Animal sacrifice

Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practised by many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature....
 to the deity.

At a mandir, the congregation often assembles in front of a shrine, and, led by priests, give offerings and sing devotional hymns.

Buddhism

Shrine Outside Wat Phnom
In Buddhism
Buddhism

Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religionand is based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as "The Buddha" , who was born in what is today Nepal....
, a shrine refers to a place where veneration is focused on the Buddha
Buddha

In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect bodhi attained by a .In Buddhism, the term 'buddha' usually refers to one who has become enlightened ....
 or one of the bodhisattva
Bodhisattva

In the Buddhist context, a bodhisattva means either "enlightened existence " or "enlightenment-being" or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment "....
s. Monks, nuns and laypeople all give offerings to these revered figures at these shrines and also meditate
Meditation

Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the reflexive, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness....
 in front of them.

Typically, Buddhist shrines contain a statue of either the Buddha, or (in the Mahayana
Mahayana

Mahayana is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophy and practice. It was History of Buddhism in India....
 and Vajrayana
Vajrayana

Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayana, Mantranaya, Mantrayana, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle ....
 forms of Buddhism), one of the various bodhisattvas. They also commonly contain candles, along with offerings such as flowers, purified water, food, and incense. Many shrines also contain sacred relics, such as the alleged tooth of the Buddha
Relic of the tooth of the Buddha

The Sacred Relic of the tooth of Buddha is venerated in Sri Lanka as a relic of the founder of Buddhism.HistoryThe relic in India...
 held at a shrine in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India....
.

Site-specific shrines in Buddhism, particularly those that contain relics of deceased buddha's and revered monks, are often designed in the traditional form
Buddhist architecture

Buddhist religious architecture developed in the South Asia in the third century BC.Three types of structures are associated with the religious architecture of early Buddhism: monasteries , stupas, and temples ....
 known as the stupa
Stupa

A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, once thought to be places of Buddhist worship, typically the remains of a Buddha or saint....
.

Bahá'í

The two most well-known Bahá'í
Bahá'í Faith

The 'Bah?'? Faith' is a monotheism religion founded by Bah?'u'll?h in nineteenth-century Persian Empire#Persia and Europe , emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind....
 shrines serve as the resting places for the respective remains of the two central figures of the Bahá'í Faith, the Báb
BAB

BAB may refer to:* Barbara Ann Brennan, an American author and spiritual healer* Back-arc basin, a geologic feature which submarine basin associated with island arc and subduction zone...
 and Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh

Bah?'u'll?h , born M?rz? usayn-`Al? Nuri , was the founder of the Bah?'? Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of B?bism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shia Islam, but in a broader sense claimed to be a Manifestation of God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatology expectations of Islam, Christianity, and other major rel...
. They are the focal points of a Bahá'í pilgrimage
Bahá'í pilgrimage

A Bah?'? pilgrimage currently consists of visiting the holy places in Haifa, Acre, Israel, and Mansion of Bahj? at the Bah?'? World Centre in Northwest Israel....
:
  • The Shrine of the Báb
    Shrine of the Báb

    The Shrine of the B?b is a structure in Haifa, Israel where the remains of the B?b, founder of B?bism and forerunner of Bah?'u'll?h in the Bah?'? Faith, have been laid to rest; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bah?'?s, after the Shrine of Bah?'u'll?h in Acre, Israel....
     in Haifa, Israel.
  • The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh
    Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh

    Located in Bahj? near Acre, Israel, the Shrine of Bah?'u'll?h is the most holy place for Bah?'? Faith and represents their Qiblih, or direction of prayer....
     in Acre, Israel
    Acre, Israel

    Acre also Akko, is a List of Israeli cities in the Western Galilee region of North District Israel. It is situated on a low promontory at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay....
    .


Neopaganism

In the many different neopagan faiths, which include Wicca
Wicca

Wicca is a neopaganism, nature-based religion. It was re-popularised in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired United Kingdom civil servant, who at the time called it Witchcraft and its adherents "the Wica"....
, Hellenic Polytheism
Hellenic polytheism

Hellenic Polytheistic Reconstructionism refers to various polytheistic reconstructionism movements that revive Religion in ancient Greece, emerging since the 1990s....
, Neo-Druidry
Neo-druidism

Neo-druidism or neo-druidry is a form of modern spirituality or religion that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment....
, and Heathenism
Germanic neopaganism

Germanic Neopaganism is the Neopaganism of historical Germanic paganism. Precursor movements appeared in the early 20th century in Esotericism in Germany and Austria....
, shrines serve many different purposes.

In the neopagan religion of Wicca
Wicca

Wicca is a neopaganism, nature-based religion. It was re-popularised in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired United Kingdom civil servant, who at the time called it Witchcraft and its adherents "the Wica"....
, a shrine is a place where the Horned God
Horned God

The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in the neopagan religion of Wicca. He is often given various names and epithets, and represents the God of the religion's Wiccan ditheism, the other part being the female Triple Goddess....
 and the Triple Goddess
Triple Goddess

This article is about the neopagan view of divinity. For other uses see Triple deity.The Triple Goddess is one of the two primary deities found in the neopagan religion of Wicca....
 are worshipped. However, they are more commonly referred to with the term "altar
Altar

An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religion, or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place....
." In other Pagan religions, shrines may be dedicated to one or many different Gods and Goddesses. As in Wicca
Wicca

Wicca is a neopaganism, nature-based religion. It was re-popularised in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired United Kingdom civil servant, who at the time called it Witchcraft and its adherents "the Wica"....
, household worship is usually centered around them.

Religions without shrines

Certain religions do not feature shrines at all, either because they believe they are fundamentally wrong, or because they simply do not need them. Spiritualism
Spiritualism

Spiritualism is a monotheism belief system or religion, postulating a belief in God, but the distinguishing feature is belief that spirits of the dead can be contacted, either by individuals or by gifted or trained "Mediumships", who can provide information about the afterlife....
, whilst believing in a God, does not typically make use of shrines.

Secular shrines

In the United States and some other countries, landmark
Landmark

Originally, a landmark literally meant a geographic feature used by exploration and others to find their way back or through an area.In modern usage, a landmark includes anything that is easily recognizable, such as a monument, building, or other structure....
s may be called "historic shrines." Notable shrines of this type include:
  • The Alamo
    Alamo Mission in San Antonio

    The Alamo, originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission and fortress compound, now a museum, in San Antonio, Texas, Texas....
  • Fort McHenry
    Fort McHenry

    Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a Star fort best known for its role in the War of 1812 when it successfully defended Inner Harbor from an attack by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Royal Navy in the Chesapeake Bay....
  • Saint Anne
    Saint Anne

    Saint Anne of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary, according to Christianity tradition. Her name Anne is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Hannah ....
     Parish and Shrine in Fall River, Massachusetts
    Fall River, Massachusetts

    Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, Massachusetts, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island and west of New Bedford, Massachusetts....
  • Touro Synagogue
    Touro Synagogue

    The Touro Synagogue is a synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, that is the Oldest synagogues in the United States still standing in the United States,...
     in Newport, Rhode Island
    Newport, Rhode Island

    Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles south of Providence, Rhode Island....
  • Shrine of Remembrance
    Shrine of Remembrance

    The Shrine of Remembrance, located in St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Melbourne, is one of the largest war memorials in Australia, and resides in Kings Domain....
    , a war memorial
    War memorial

    A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war....
     in Melbourne
    Melbourne

    Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....
    , Victoria, Australia
  • Shrine of Remembrance
    Shrine of Remembrance, Brisbane

    The Shrine of Remembrance is located in ANZAC Square, Brisbane, between Ann Street, Brisbane and Adelaide Street, Brisbane, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
    , a war memorial
    War memorial

    A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war....
     in Brisbane
    Brisbane

    Brisbane is the state List of Australian capital cities of Queensland and its most populous city. It is also the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, behind southern rivals Sydney and Melbourne....
    , Australia.


By extension the term shrine has come to mean any place (or virtual cyber-place) dedicated completely to a particular person or subject.

Select list of shrines by location


Africa


Cameroon
  • Basilique Marie-Reine-des-Apôtres (Mary Queen of the Apostles Basilica) in Yaoundé
    Yaoundé

    Yaound?, , is the capital city of Cameroon and second largest city in the country after Douala. It lies in the centre of the nation at about 750 metres above sea level....
    .


Asia


China
  • Our Lady of Carmel shrine in Tianjiajing, Henan.


India
  • One international shrine, in Ernakulam – Angamaly, of the Syro-Malabar rite:
  • Shrine Vailankanni Basilica Vailankanni
    Vailankanni

    Velankanni , also known as Vailankanni or "Velanganni", is a panchayat town in Nagapattinam district in the Indian States and territories of India of Tamil Nadu....
     in India
    India

    India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....


Iran
  • Imam Ridha Shrine
    Imam Reza shrine

    Imam Ridha shrine in Mashhad, Iran is a complex which contains the mausoleum of Imam Ridha, the eighth Twelve Imams of Twelvers. Also contained within the complex include: the Goharshad Mosque, a museum, a library, seminaries, a cemetery, a dining hall for pilgrims, vast prayer halls, and other buildings....
    , Mashhad
    Mashhad

    Mashhad is the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country city in Iran and one of the Holiest sites in Islam in the Shia world....
    , Iran
    Iran

    Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
     – tomb of the Eighth Twelver Shi‘ah Imam
    Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

    Imamah is the Shia Islam doctrine of religious, spiritual and political Islamic leadership of the Ummah. The Shi?ah believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or Succession to Muhammad of Muhammad, and Twelver Shi`ism and Ismaili Shi?ah further that Imams are possessed of supernatural knowledge, authority, and Ismah as well as being par...


Iraq
  • Imam Ali Mosque
    Imam Ali Mosque

    The Imam ?Ali Holy Shrine , also known as Masjid Ali or the Mosque of ?Ali, is a mosque located in Najaf, Iraq. Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of Muhammad, Imamah , and the fourth caliph is buried here....
    , Najaf
    Najaf

    Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 900,600 people, though this has increased significantly since 2003 due to immigration from abroad, mainly from neighbouring Iran.....
    , Iraq
    Iraq

    Iraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
     – tomb of Ali
    Ali

    Ali ibn Abi alib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophets of Islam Muhammad, who ruled over the Rashidun empire from 656 to 661. Sunni Muslims consider Ali as the fourth and final Rashidun while Shia Islam Muslims regard Ali as the first Imamah and consider him and his descendants as the Succession to Muhammad, all of which are me...
    , the cousin of Muhammad
    Muhammad

    Muhammad Patronymic#Arabic Abd Allah ibn Abd al Muttalib , is the founder of the Major religious groups of Islam and is regarded by Muslims as a Rasul and prophet of , the last and the greatest law-bearer in a series of prophets....
     and First Shi‘ah Imam
    Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

    Imamah is the Shia Islam doctrine of religious, spiritual and political Islamic leadership of the Ummah. The Shi?ah believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or Succession to Muhammad of Muhammad, and Twelver Shi`ism and Ismaili Shi?ah further that Imams are possessed of supernatural knowledge, authority, and Ismah as well as being par...
  • Imam Husayn Shrine
    Imam Husayn Shrine

    The Shrine of Husayn ibn ?Ali is a Holiest sites in Islam of Shia Islam in the city of Karbala, Iraq. It stands on the site of the grave of Husayn ibn Ali, the second grandson of Muhammad, near the place where he was killed during the Battle of Karbala in 680 Common Era....
    , Karbala
    Karbala

    Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad at 32.61?N, 44.08?E. In the time of Husayn ibn Ali's life, the place was also known as al-Ghadiriyah, Naynawa, and Shathi'ul-Furaat....
    , Iraq
    Iraq

    Iraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
     – tomb of Husayn
    Husayn ibn Ali

    ?usayn ibn ?Ali ibn Abi ?alib ? was the grandson of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and the son of Ali and Fatimah . Husayn is an important figure in Islam as he is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa, as well as being a Imamah , and one of The Fourteen Infallibles of Twelvers....
    , the son of Ali
    Ali

    Ali ibn Abi alib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophets of Islam Muhammad, who ruled over the Rashidun empire from 656 to 661. Sunni Muslims consider Ali as the fourth and final Rashidun while Shia Islam Muslims regard Ali as the first Imamah and consider him and his descendants as the Succession to Muhammad, all of which are me...
    , grandson of Muhammad
    Muhammad

    Muhammad Patronymic#Arabic Abd Allah ibn Abd al Muttalib , is the founder of the Major religious groups of Islam and is regarded by Muslims as a Rasul and prophet of , the last and the greatest law-bearer in a series of prophets....
     and Third Twelver Shi‘ah Imam
    Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

    Imamah is the Shia Islam doctrine of religious, spiritual and political Islamic leadership of the Ummah. The Shi?ah believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or Succession to Muhammad of Muhammad, and Twelver Shi`ism and Ismaili Shi?ah further that Imams are possessed of supernatural knowledge, authority, and Ismah as well as being par...
  • Hadhrat ‘Abbas Mosque
    Al Abbas Mosque

    The Al-?Abbas Mosque or Masjid al-?Abbas is the mausoleum of Al-Abbas ibn Ali, located across from the Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, Iraq....
    , Karbala
    Karbala

    Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad at 32.61?N, 44.08?E. In the time of Husayn ibn Ali's life, the place was also known as al-Ghadiriyah, Naynawa, and Shathi'ul-Furaat....
    , Iraq
    Iraq

    Iraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
     – tomb of ‘Abbas, the brother of Husayn
    Husayn ibn Ali

    ?usayn ibn ?Ali ibn Abi ?alib ? was the grandson of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and the son of Ali and Fatimah . Husayn is an important figure in Islam as he is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa, as well as being a Imamah , and one of The Fourteen Infallibles of Twelvers....
  • Al Kadhimiya Mosque
    Al Kadhimiya Mosque

    The Al-Kadhimiya Mosque is a shrine located in the Kadhimiya suburb of Baghdad, Iraq.It contains the tombs of the seventh Twelver Imamah Musa al-Kadhim and the ninth Twelver Shi?ah Imam Muhammad at-Taqi....
    , Kadhimayn, Iraq
    Iraq

    Iraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
     – tomb of the Seventh
    Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

    Imamah is the Shia Islam doctrine of religious, spiritual and political Islamic leadership of the Ummah. The Shi?ah believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or Succession to Muhammad of Muhammad, and Twelver Shi`ism and Ismaili Shi?ah further that Imams are possessed of supernatural knowledge, authority, and Ismah as well as being par...
     and Ninth Twelver Shi‘ah Imams
    Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

    Imamah is the Shia Islam doctrine of religious, spiritual and political Islamic leadership of the Ummah. The Shi?ah believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or Succession to Muhammad of Muhammad, and Twelver Shi`ism and Ismaili Shi?ah further that Imams are possessed of supernatural knowledge, authority, and Ismah as well as being par...
  • Al Askari Mosque, Samarra
    Samarra

    Samarra is a city in Iraq.It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah al-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
    , Iraq
    Iraq

    Iraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
     – tomb of the Tenth
    Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

    Imamah is the Shia Islam doctrine of religious, spiritual and political Islamic leadership of the Ummah. The Shi?ah believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or Succession to Muhammad of Muhammad, and Twelver Shi`ism and Ismaili Shi?ah further that Imams are possessed of supernatural knowledge, authority, and Ismah as well as being par...
     and Eleventh Twelver Shi‘ah Imams
    Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

    Imamah is the Shia Islam doctrine of religious, spiritual and political Islamic leadership of the Ummah. The Shi?ah believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or Succession to Muhammad of Muhammad, and Twelver Shi`ism and Ismaili Shi?ah further that Imams are possessed of supernatural knowledge, authority, and Ismah as well as being par...


Syria
  • Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque
    Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque

    Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque is a shrine located in Damascus, Syria, that contains the grave of Zaynab bint Ali daughter of Ali and Fatimah, and granddaughter of Muhammad ....
    , Damascus
    Damascus

    Damascus is the capital and largest city of Syria. It is List of oldest continuously inhabited cities and its current population is estimated at about 4,000,000....
    , Syria
    Syria

    Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is an Arab-majority country in Southwest Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Israel to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east, and Turkey to the north....
     – tomb of Zaynab
    Zaynab bint Ali

    Zaynab bint Ali was the daughter of the last caliph of Islam Ali , and granddaughter of Prophets of Islam, Muhammad.In shi'a views, she is a great figure of sacrifice and strength....
    , the sister of Husayn
    Husayn ibn Ali

    ?usayn ibn ?Ali ibn Abi ?alib ? was the grandson of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and the son of Ali and Fatimah . Husayn is an important figure in Islam as he is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa, as well as being a Imamah , and one of The Fourteen Infallibles of Twelvers....
  • Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque
    Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque

    Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque is a shrine located in Damascus, Syria, that contains the grave of the youngest daughter of Husayn ibn Ali by the name of Sukayna bint Husayn....
    , Damascus
    Damascus

    Damascus is the capital and largest city of Syria. It is List of oldest continuously inhabited cities and its current population is estimated at about 4,000,000....
    , Syria
    Syria

    Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is an Arab-majority country in Southwest Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Israel to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east, and Turkey to the north....
     – tomb of Fatimah (commonly referred to by the titles: Ruqayya, Sukayna, and Sakina), the daughter of Husayn
    Husayn ibn Ali

    ?usayn ibn ?Ali ibn Abi ?alib ? was the grandson of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and the son of Ali and Fatimah . Husayn is an important figure in Islam as he is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa, as well as being a Imamah , and one of The Fourteen Infallibles of Twelvers....


Israel
  • Dome of the Rock
    Dome of the Rock

    The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine and a major landmark located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest extant Islamic building in the world....
    , Jerusalem
    Jerusalem

    Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its List of Israeli cities in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if Positions on Jerusalem East Jerusalem is included....
  • Shrine of the Báb
    Shrine of the Báb

    The Shrine of the B?b is a structure in Haifa, Israel where the remains of the B?b, founder of B?bism and forerunner of Bah?'u'll?h in the Bah?'? Faith, have been laid to rest; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bah?'?s, after the Shrine of Bah?'u'll?h in Acre, Israel....
     in Haifa, Israel.
  • Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh
    Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh

    Located in Bahj? near Acre, Israel, the Shrine of Bah?'u'll?h is the most holy place for Bah?'? Faith and represents their Qiblih, or direction of prayer....
     in Acre, Israel
    Acre, Israel

    Acre also Akko, is a List of Israeli cities in the Western Galilee region of North District Israel. It is situated on a low promontory at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay....
    .


Japan
  • in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
    Kyoto Prefecture

    is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Kinki region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto....
    .
  • in Fukuoka
    Fukuoka, Fukuoka

    is the capital cities of Japan of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan, across the Korea Strait from South Korea Busan....
    , Fukuoka Prefecture
    Fukuoka Prefecture

    is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located on Kyushu Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka, Fukuoka....
    .
  • in Otsu
    Otsu, Shiga

    is the capital cities of Japan of Shiga Prefecture, Japan.As of February 2007 the city has an estimated population of 329,355 with an age average of 40.7 years and a population density of 880.49 persons per square kilometer....
    , Shiga Prefecture
    Shiga Prefecture

    is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan which is part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Otsu, Shiga....
    .
  • in Ise
    Ise, Mie

    , formerly called Ujiyamada , is a cities of Japan located in eastern Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshu, Japan.Ise is home to Ise Grand Shrine, the most sacred Shinto shrine in Japan, and is thus a very popular destination for tourists....
    , Mie prefecture
    Mie Prefecture

    is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan which is part of the Kinki and Chubu regions on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Tsu, Mie....
    .
  • in Izumo
    Izumo, Shimane

    is a cities of Japan located in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Izumo is known for Izumo soba noodles and the Izumo Taisha Shinto shrine....
    , Shimane Prefecture
    Shimane Prefecture

    is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island. The capital is Matsue, Shimane. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, next to the Tottori Prefecture that is a neighboring prefecture on the east side....
  • in Yawata
    Yawata, Kyoto

    is a cities of Japan located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 73,651 and the population density of 3,047.70 persons per square kilometer....
    , Kyoto Prefecture
    Kyoto Prefecture

    is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Kinki region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto....
    .
  • Japanese Martyrs Shrine
    Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument

    The Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument were built on Nishizaka Hill in June 1962 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the canonization of the Christians executed on the site on February 5, 1597....
     in NagaskaiNagasaki Prefecture
    Nagasaki Prefecture

    is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Nagasaki, Nagasaki....
    .
  • in Nara
    Nara, Nara

    is the capital cities of Japan of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture....
    , Nara Prefecture
    Nara Prefecture

    is a Prefectures of Japan in the Kansai region on Honshu Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara, Nara....
    .
  • in Kamakura
    Kamakura, Kanagawa

    is a cities of Japan located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called . Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is sometimes considered a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Shikken during the Kamakura Period....
    , Kanagawa Prefecture
    Kanagawa Prefecture

    is a prefectures of Japan located in the southern Kanto region of Honshu, Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area....
  • in Usa
    Usa, Oita

    is a cities of Japan located in Oita Prefecture, Japan. Usa is famous for being the location of the 'Usa Shrine', built in 725, the head shrine of all of Hachiman shrines in Japan....
    , Oita Prefecture
    Oita Prefecture

    is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located on Kyushu Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Oita, Oita....
    .


Europe


Austria
  • Basilica Mariä Geburt
    Mariazell Basilica

    The Mariazell Basilica is the most important pilgrimage destination in Austria and one of the most important in Europe. In the church, a miraculous wooden image of the Virgin Mary is honoured....
     in Mariazell
    Mariazell

    Mariazell is a small city in Austria, in Styria , well known for winter sports, 143 km N. of Graz. It is picturesquely situated in the valley of the Salza , amid the north Styrian Alps....
    , Styria
    Styria (state)

    Styria is a States of Austria or Bundesland, located in the southeast of Austria. In area, it is the second largest of the nine Austrian states, covering 16,388 km?....


Belgium
  • The shrine of Our Lady at Scherpenheuvel in Flanders
    Flanders

    Flanders is a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied....


Croatia
  • minor basilica of the Mother Mary of Bistrica
    Marija Bistrica

    Marija Bistrica is Municipalities of Croatia in Krapina-Zagorje County in central Croatia, located on the slopes of the Medvednica mountain in Hrvatsko Zagorje, not far away from Zagreb....
  • National Shrine of St. Joseph on Dubovac in Karlovac
    Karlovac

    Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the whole municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants ....


Czech Republic
  • St. Vitus Cathedral
    St. Vitus Cathedral

    Saint Vitus's Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Prague, and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. The full name of the cathedral is Saint Vitus, Saint Wenceslas and Adalbert of Prague Cathedral....
     in Prague
    Prague

    Prague is the Capital and World's largest cities of the Czech Republic. Its official name is Hlavn? mesto Praha, meaning Prague, the Capital City....


France
  • Minor Basilica (upper church) of Our Lady of Lourdes
    Our Lady of Lourdes

    Our Lady of Lourdes is the name used to refer to the Marian apparition that is reported to have appeared before various individuals in separate occasions around Lourdes, France....
     in Lourdes
    Lourdes

    Lourdes is a town and communes of France situated in the southwest of the Hautes-Pyr?n?es Departments of France, lying in the first Pyrenean foothills, in southwestern France....
  • Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
    Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

    The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris, France, is the chapel where Roman Catholic Church believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Catherine Labour? in 1830 and requested the creation of the medal which came to be known as the Miraculous Medal....
     in Paris
  • Cathedral of Our Lady in Reims
    Reims

    The city of Reims lies in the Champagne-Ardenne region in northeastern France 129 km east-northeast of Paris.Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
    , where the French kings were crowned
  • National Shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians in Nice
    Nice

    Nice is a city in Southern France France located on the Mediterranean Sea coast, between Marseille, France, and Genoa, Italy, with 1,197,751 inhabitants in the 2007 estimate....


Germany
  • Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral
    Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral

    The Shrine of the Three Kings is a reliquary said to contain the bones of the Biblical Magi, also known as the Three Kings or the Three Wise Men....


Greece
  • Mount Athos
    Mount Athos

    Mount Athos is a mountain on the peninsula of the same name in Macedonia , of northern Greece, called in Greek language Agion Oros , or in English, "Holy Mountain"....
     in


Ireland
  • the minor basilica of Our Lady of Knock Queen of Ireland [BVM] in Knock


Italy
  • The shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary
    Blessed Virgin Mary

    The Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to The Blessed Virgin or The Virgin Mary, is a traditional title used by most Christians and most specifically used by liturgical Christians such as Roman Catholics, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, and some others to describe Mary, mother of Jesus, the mother of...
     cathedral at Loreto
    Loreto

    Loreto is Italian laurel-wood. It may refer to:...
     in Italy
  • Pontifical Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, conventual


Latvia
  • minor basilica of BVM Assumption in Aglona
    Aglona

    Aglona is a village in Preili District, Latvia. It is located 40 kilometers northeast of the city of Daugavpils. Aglona is famous in Latvia and beyond for its basilica ? the most important Catholic church in the country ? which was once visited by Pope John Paul II, and which attracts thousands of pilgrims every year on the day of the Assum...


Malta
  • the minor basilica of National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu [BVM Assumption] in Gharb
    Gharb

    Gharb is a village located at the westernmost point of the island of Gozo, Malta, with a population of 1,160 people . It started life as a small hamlet centuries ago....


Poland
  • Divine Mercy Shrine in Plock
    Plock

    Plock is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river, with 131,011 inhabitants. It is located in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of the Plock Voivodeship ....
  • Shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Czestochowa
    Czestochowa

    Czestochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta with 248,894 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Czestochowa Voivodeship ....
  • Wawel Cathedral
    Wawel Cathedral

    Wawel Cathedral is a church located on Wawel Hill in Krak?w, which is Poland's national sanctuary. It has a 1,000-year history and was the traditional coronation site of Polish monarchs....
     of St. Stanislaus and St. Wenceslaus in Kraków
    Kraków

    Krak?w , in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow , is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland, with a population of 756,336 in 2007 ....
  • JHS Divine Mercy in Kraków-Lagiewniki
  • Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lichen
    Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lichen

    The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lichen is located in Greater Poland in a village called Lichen Stary, near Konin.The Sanctuary is Poland's largest church, the seventh largest in Europe and eleventh in the World....
     in Lichen Stary
    Lichen Stary

    Lichen Stary is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Slesin, within Konin County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland....
  • Suprasl Lavra in


Portugal
  • Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima
    Our Lady of Fatima

    Our Lady of F?tima is the title given to the vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary that was said to have appeared before three shepherd children at F?tima, Portugal on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on 13 May, the F?tima holiday....
     in Fatima
    Fátima, Portugal

    F?tima is a city in Portugal famous for the religious visions that took place there in 1917. The town itself has a population of 7,756 and is located in the Municipalities of Portugal of Our?m, in the Centro Region and sub region of Medio Tejo....


Spain
  • The shrine of the Apostle Saint James the Great
    Saint James the Great

    Saint James, son of Zebedee or Yaakov Ben-Zebdi/Bar-Zebdi, was one of the disciples of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome , and brother of John the Apostle....
     at Santiago de Compostela
    Santiago de Compostela

    Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous communities of Spain of Galicia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the north west of Spain in the A Coru?a , it was the "European City of Culture" for the year 2000....
     in Galicia, historically the third Catholic pilgrimage destination after Jerusalem and Rome
  • Santuario Nacional de la Gran Promesa [JHS Heart] in Valladolid
    Valladolid

    ||-||} is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region. It is the capital of the Valladolid and of the autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon, therefore is part of the historical region of Castile ....
  • Mare de Déu de Montserrat [BVM] in Terrassa
    Terrassa

    Terrassa is a Spanish city, the fourth in Catalonia according to the number of the inhabitants. Located in the northeastern region of Catalonia, the town is in the plain of Vall?s Occidental of which it is the co-capital with Sabadell, the historical capital....


Ukraine
  • Pochaïv Lavra


United Kingdom
  • The shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Walsingham
    Walsingham

    Walsingham is a village in the England county of Norfolk. The village is famed for its religious shrines in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is a major pilgrimage centre....
     (England)
  • The shrine of St Edward the Confessor
    Edward the Confessor

    Saint Edward the Confessor , son of Ethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was the penultimate Anglo-Saxons List of the monarchs of the Kingdom of England and the last of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 until his death....
     in Westminster Abbey
    Westminster Abbey

    The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic architecture Church , in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster....
     (England)
  • The shrine of St Winifred at Holywell
    Holywell

    Holywell is the fifth largest town in Flintshire, North Wales Wales, lying to the west of the Dee Estuary of the River Dee, Wales....
     (Wales
    Wales

    native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
    )
  • Welsh National Shrine of Our Lady of Cardigan
    Our Lady of Cardigan

    Our Lady of Cardigan , the national Roman Catholic Church shrine of Wales, is a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary located in a chapel in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Ceredigion, Wales....
    , Wales
  • The National Shrine of Saint Boniface
    Saint Boniface

    Saint Boniface , the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid or Wynfrith at Crediton in the kingdom of Wessex , was a missionary who propagated Christianity in the Frankish Empire during the 8th century....
     at Crediton
    Crediton

    Crediton is a town in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. It stands on the A377 road Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road road to Tiverton, Devon, about north west of Exeter....
     (England)
  • The Shrine of Our Lady of Westminster
    Our Lady of Westminster

    Our Lady of Westminster is a late Medieval statue of the Virgin & Child, now to be found at the entrance of the Lady Chapel in Westminster Cathedral, London, under the thirteenth Station of the Cross by Eric Gill....
     in Westminster Cathedral
    Westminster Cathedral

    Westminster Cathedral in London, England, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster....


North America


Canada
  • Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
    Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré

    The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupr? is a basilica set along the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, 30 kilometres east of Quebec City. It has been credited by the Roman Catholic Church with many miracles of curing the sick and disabled....
     in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
    Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec

    Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupr? is a village in La C?te-de-Beaupr? Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Quebec, at the junction of the Sainte Anne river with the Saint Lawrence River, 35 kilometres north-east of the Quebec City, Quebec....
    , Quebec
    Quebec

    Quebec , in French language, Qu?bec , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
    .


Mexico
  • Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
    Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

    The name Basilica of Guadalupe may refer to one of the two church es built on top of Tepeyac hill, north of Mexico City. The site is nearby the place where it is said Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared in front of Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin....
     in Mexico City
    Mexico City

    Mexico City is the capital city of Mexico. It is the most important economic, industrial, and cultural center in the country; the most populous city with over 8,836,045 inhabitants in 2008....
    .


United States
  • Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation
    Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation

    The Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation is a Basilica#Ecclesiastical basilica of the Roman Catholic Church and a Shrines to the Virgin Mary, operated by the Franciscan....
     in Carey, Ohio
    Carey, Ohio

    Carey is a village #Ohio in Wyandot County, Ohio, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,901 at the United States Census, 2000....
    .
  • Basilica of Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians
    Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians

    Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians is a Roman Catholic Church shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The centerpiece of the shrine is a minor basilica....
     in Hubertus, Wisconsin
    Hubertus, Wisconsin

    Hubertus is an unincorporated area in the village of Richfield, Washington County, Wisconsin and the town of Erin, Wisconsin in Washington County, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, United States....
    .
  • Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, Maryland
    Maryland

    Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
    .
  • Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
    Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

    File:Basilica of the National Shrine - interior.jpgThe Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a prominent Roman Catholic basilica located in Washington, D.C., honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States....
     in Washington, DC.
  • Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower
    Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower

    The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower is a historic Roman Catholic church , located in San Antonio, Texas. The church is distinguished as one of only a handful of church buildings in North America bearing the papal designation of "minor basilica." Despite its religious importance it is not the cathedral of the local dioce...
     Catholic Church in San Antonio Texas
    Texas

    Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
    .
  • Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Atlanta, Georgia
    Georgia (U.S. state)

    Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
    .
  • Jaffa Shrine in Altoona, Pennsylvania
    Altoona, Pennsylvania

    Altoona is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the principal city of the Altoona, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area....
    .
  • Light Of Truth Universal Shrine in Buckingham
    Buckingham

    Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, approximately from the border with Northamptonshire. The town has a population of 11,572 , ....
    , Virginia
    Virginia

    The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
    .
  • National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos
    Francis Xavier Seelos

    Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos was a German-American Roman Catholic priest and Redemptorist missionary.He was born in F?ssen, Bavaria, Germany on January 11, 1819 and was baptized the same day in the parish church of Magnus of F?ssen....
     in New Orleans, Louisiana
    Louisiana

    The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
    ,
  • National Shrine of National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe
    Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine

    Mary, Queen of the Universe National Shrine is located in Orlando, Florida at 8300 Vineland Avenue. It was built to service the large number of Catholic tourists who visit the attractions in the Greater Orlando area....
     in Orlando, Florida
    Orlando, Florida

    Orlando is a major city in Central Florida, United States and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Florida. It is also the principal city of Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area....
    .
  • National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown
    Doylestown, Pennsylvania

    Doylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, 34 miles north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the turn of the century in 1900, 3,034 people lived in the borough of Doylestown, and in 1910, 3,304 people lived there....
    , Pennsylvania
    Pennsylvania

    The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
    .
  • National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Perryville
    Perryville

    Perryville may refer to:*Perryville, Alaska*Perryville, Arkansas*Perryville, Kentucky**The Battle of Perryville, in the American Civil War*Perryville, Maryland...
    , Missouri
    Missouri

    Missouri is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska....
    .
  • National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
    National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows

    The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows is a Roman Catholic Church shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Belleville, Illinois, Illinois. This shrine is located about nine highway miles southeast of downtown St....
     in Belleville, Illinois
    Belleville, Illinois

    Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, Illinois, United States. The population was 41,410 at the United States Census 2000. It is the county seat of St....
    .
  • National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge
    Stockbridge, Massachusetts

    Stockbridge is a New England town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts in Western Massachusetts Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area....
    , Massachusetts
    Massachusetts

    The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north....
    .
  • National Shrine of the Little Flower
    National Shrine of the Little Flower

    National Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church in Royal Oak, Michigan is a Roman Catholic Church completed in two stages, from 1931 to 1936, and funded by the proceeds of the radio ministry of the controversial Father Charles Coughlin who performed radio broadcasts from the tower....
     in Royal Oak
    Royal Oak

    The Royal Oak is the name given to the oak tree within which Charles II of England of England Escape of Charles II the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651....
    , Michigan
    Michigan

    Michigan is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Anishinaabe language term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
    .
  • National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg
    Emmitsburg, Maryland

    Emmitsburg was founded in 1785 and is in Frederick County, Maryland, Maryland, just south of the Mason-Dixon line separating Maryland from Pennsylvania....
     , Maryland
    Maryland

    Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
    .
  • National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi San Francisco, California
    California

    California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
    .
  • National Shrine of Saint John Neumann in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Pennsylvania

    The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
    .
  • National Shrine of St. Katherine Drexel in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
    Pennsylvania

    The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
  • Our Lady of Victory Basilica National Shrine in Lackawanna
    Lackawanna

    Lackawanna relates to several places in the United States:*Lake Lackawanna, Byram Twp., Sussex County, NJ - A man made lake and golf course owned by the Lake Lackawanna Investment Company....
    , New York
    New York

    The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
    .
  • Shrine of Christ the King
    Christ the King

    Christ the Monarch is a title of Jesus based on several passages of Bible and, in general, used by all Christians. Many denominations, including Catholics, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and some Lutherans and Methodists, celebrate, in honour of Christ under this title, the Feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday of the liturgi...
     Sovereign Priest in Chicago, Illinois.
  • Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse,Wisconsin
    Wisconsin

    Wisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. state in the United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States. It borders two of the five Great Lakes and four U.S....
    .
  • Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, New York
    New York

    The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
    .
  • Shrine of Saint Joseph in St. Louis, Missouri
    Missouri

    Missouri is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska....
    .
  • Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama
    Alabama

    Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
    .
  • Shrine of the North American Martyrs
    Isaac Jogues

    Saint Isaac Jogues was a Jesuit Priest , missionary, and martyr who traveled and worked among the native populations in North America. He gave the original European name to Lake George , calling it Lac du Saint Sacrement, Lake of the Holy Sacrament....
     in Auriesville, New York
    Auriesville, New York

    Auriesville is a hamlet in the northeastern part of the town of Glen, New York in Montgomery County, New York, New York, United States, along the south bank of the Mohawk River....
    .
  • Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America
    Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America

    Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America is the first Shinto Jinja built in the mainland United States. It was erected in 1987 in Stockton, California, and moved to its current location in Granite Falls, Washington in 2001....
     in Granite Falls, Washington
    Granite Falls, Washington

    Granite Falls is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 2,347 at the 2000 United States Census....
    .


South America



Oceania


Australia
  • in Sydney
    Sydney

    Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia....
    , St. Mary's Cathedral, a minor basilica
  • in Melbourne
    Melbourne

    Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....
    : St. Anthony's National Shrine, National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and National Shrine of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux


See also

  • Shriners
    Shriners

    The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870 is an Masonic appendant bodies body to Freemasonry, based in the United States....
     (Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
    Shriners

    The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870 is an Masonic appendant bodies body to Freemasonry, based in the United States....
    ) used to call their masonic assembly places temple (akin to shrine), but recently rebaptised them shriner centre
  • Holiest sites in Islam


External Links